Claudia Galvis was not able to speak a word of
English when she arrived in South Florida from Colombia at age 16.
Coached, educated and
encouraged by Hispanic Unity of Florida, Inc, the well-known
Broward County agency serving immigrants, Claudia went on to pursue
her degree in architecture from FAU.
She was so touched by
her experience at Hispanic Unity,
that she chose the
organization as the subject of her thesis and designed a new
building she hopes one day will become a reality.

The story of this School of Architecture 2007 graduate
exemplifies the School's goal to help students see needs in their
own communities and use their skills as architects and social
problem solvers to make physical improvements, and, as a result,
improve the quality of life for all citizens.

Claudia knew since she was a young girl that she wanted to
pursue a career that combined her interests in art and science, but
never dreamed she would end up practicing architecture in Broward
County, Florida.
When she moved to
South Florida with her family, she had already graduated from high
school and was not able to take classes in the public school
system.

At the recommendation of her aunt, who had lived in the
United States for two decades, she enrolled in classes at Hispanic
Unity, the largest non-profit organization in Broward County
dedicated to serving immigrants and their families from varying
ethnicities. Services at Hispanic Unity range from English classes,
job placement, and emergency assistance to health education, free
tax preparation, summer camps, children's literacy, and a senior
activity center.

"Hispanic Unity helped me to adjust to a new country and meet
people my own age," she recalled.
"Because of their
help, my introduction to a new culture was smoother."

One day the registrar for Broward Community College visited
Claudia's aunt's business and asked if anyone wanted to go to
college.
She told Claudia
immediately and helped her enrolled at BCC, where she also got a
job in the registrar's office.
Because of her English
training, Claudia was able to skip a year of English as a second
language (ESOL) classes.
She continued her
education at FAU, where she enrolled in the five-year bachelor's of
architecture program.
When it came time to
tackle her required thesis project, Claudia knew right away it had
to be for Hispanic Unity.

"I thought about how much Hispanic Unity had helped me," she
said. "When I went there to interview them, I was so impressed by
how much they had grown and the services they offered.
I saw right away that
their facilities were not adequate."

After spending many hours interviewing Hispanic Unity's
President & CEO Josie
Bacallao, Claudia began
designing the "Center of Hispanic Unity."
She incorporated
Josie's requests for a green focus, a campus feel, a place filled
with natural light and a gallery-like setting for showcasing
Hispanic art.
The design also
mirrored her familiarity with Hispanic towns, which grow from a
central plaza.

"In any architectural project, you have to envision how it
will impact the surrounding community," said Claudia, who studied
Hispanic towns around the world.
"I saw this center as
being a seed of change in the transitional neighborhood where
Hispanic Unity is located."

In her design, a four-story gallery tower, would be visible
from Route 441 and serve as a central beacon, just as church
steeples do in older towns.
Reflecting pools,
garden spaces, and an outside monumental staircase leading to the
top of the gallery space are just a few of the details this young
designer included in her proposal.
Also included in the
Center model are residential elements that blend comfortably with
nearby homes, a grand café, long breezeways and multi-purpose
areas for special events.

"This is a spiritual space, where people are renewing
themselves as immigrants," said Josie, looking at the model of the
center for the first time.
"It would be
fantastic to see it become a reality some day."

"Some of our strongest thesis projects have come from
students like Claudia seeking to develop real and thoughtful design
solutions that engage experiences from their own lives," said
Director of the School Aron Temkin.
While a 16-week studio
project will not produce all of the details required to construct
something of this scale, Claudia's design shows very realizable
ideas for the Center.
Certainly, this
project could form the seed of a future home for Hispanic Unity.

"Claudia was an excellent student.
Perhaps someday her
ideas and vision for this project can become reality."

According to the professor, Claudia was one of only 12
students selected last summer from a national pool to participate
in a 10-day student residency program at Frank Lloyd Wright's
Fallingwater in Pennsylvania.

Currently, Claudia is working at Architectura Group in
Hollywood, Fla. and fulfilling her internship requirements toward
professional licensure. She also is preparing to present her
concepts to the Hispanic Unity Board of Directors.
Whether or not she is
able to see her project become a reality at Hispanic Unity, this
FAU graduate promises to make invaluable contributions to our South
Florida community.